1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a radiation shield apron of the type employed by technicians and like persons exposed to radiation from X-rays and radioactive materials.
2. The Prior Art
It is conventional for technicians and other persons working in proximity to areas wherein they may be exposed to X-rays or radioactive materials to employ protective garments, frequently in the configuration of aprons or the like. A representative such garment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3052,799 of Sept. 4, 1962.
Garments of the type described are typically comprised of a layer or layers of vinyl or like plastics which are impregnated with radiation shielding materials, such as lead particles. In order to achieve the necessary barrier against radiation penetration and in view of the limited amount of lead which may be loaded into the plastic the protective sheets must necessarily be of substantial thickness. Such thicknesses dictate that the sheets, while formed of flaccid material, are nonetheless relatively stiff.
The sheets are typically encased in external fabric layers for the sake of appearance and in view of the relatively poor wear resistance of the lead loaded polymers.
In constructions heretofore known the fabric covering layers and the internal vinyl material have been stitched together throughout their periphery, a binder tape typically being overlaid about and stitched to the periphery for purposes of reinforcement and to provide a neat appearance.
Constructions in accordance with that described have proven cumbersome, tending to buckle rather than to conform to the body, for instance when the operator bends from the waist.
The above referenced United States patent attempts to solve the noted problem by providing a garment, the lower portion of which consists of two separate flaps or sheets which are independently encased in fabric, permitting one such flap to swing free of the other.